Civil Defence
'Tasman Tempest' caused $42m in damage
Insurance costs from the storm in March, which dumped a month's worth of rain on Auckland and Coromandel in just 24 hours, have hit $42 million. Video
Engineer company shuts doors while facing unresolved complaint
A structural engineering company has shut its doors while facing both an unresolved complaint and a call for a review of its seismic assessments and other work.
Edgecumbe home-owners to get repair help
Flood recovery officials want yellow-stickered Edgecumbe houses fixed and habitable by Christmas, even if their owners don't have insurance.
Incorrect quake alert was training-day error
An unsupervised staff member was to blame for Civil Defence wrongly alerting the news media to a massive earthquake and tsunami this year.
Build your own emergency kit
Consumer NZ has labelled many of the emergency response kits sold in NZ a 'disaster'. George Block shows us how easy it is to assemble your own three-day survival kit that's better than commercial… Audio
Canterbury funding goes towards quake inspections
North Canterbury buildings damaged in last November's earthquake are undergoing detailed seismic inspections due to be completed within two months.
Sea level-prone homes set for insurance cutoff
Tens of thousands of coastal New Zealand homes could lose their eligibility for insurance because of climate change, a report suggests.
Govt tops up Kaikōura support fund by $1m
Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges has announced a new $1 million grant programme to help support businesses affected by the Kaikōura earthquake.
Homemade disaster kits cheaper, better, warns Consumer NZ
Most pre-made emergency survival kits lack key items or have poor-quality gear, and people are better off building their own, Consumer New Zealand says.
Most survival kits woefully lacking- Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ says most pre-made emergency survival kits, including those provided by St John New Zealand, are surprisingly lacking. Suzanne Chetwin says New Zealanders should be better prepared and… Audio
Council says it is providing 24/7 security in Edgecumbe
The Whakatāne District Council is providing 24/7 security around the red-stickered area of Edgecumbe, its mayor says.
Quake tsunami threshold changed after East Cape shake
The magnitude required to trigger an automatic tsunami alert has been lowered, Civil Defence has confirmed.
One building, three engineers, three very different opinions
Three structural engineers have separately studied a Wellington office block in the wake of the Kaikoura earthquake. Their assessments vary from potentially less than a third of the New Building… Audio
Quake ratings uncertainty leaves tenants in lurch
Tenants of a Wellington high-rise have no idea whether their building is safe after three engineering firms released wildly different seismic assessments.
Experts flocking to quake conference after Kaikoura shake
About 100 foreign experts have flown to Wellington for the annual New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering annual technical conference Video, Audio
Christchurch mayor outlines concerns around civil defence review
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel agrees with Gerry Brownlee that Civil Defence needs to change. She says lessons need to be learned from recent quakes and associated tsunami warnings. Audio
A serious rethink of Civil Defence model signalled by Gerry Brownlee
The Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee wants to use a new review to highlight what he calls the organisation's 'shortcomings'. Audio
Civil Defence structure to be reviewed
A former cabinet minister, Roger Sowry, is to chair a group that will review the structure of Civil Defence.
Council to offer new campground to flood-hit residents
The Whakatāne District Council wants to use a newly-purchased holiday park as temporary housing for Edgecumbe residents. Audio
Wellington looking at high-tech earthquake solutions
The Wellington City Council wants to put accelerometers in commercial buildings to help it make quicker decisions about which areas are worst affected following an earthquake. Audio
